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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Wonder Women Ywca Leader Luncheon To Honor Women Of Achievement, Eight Individuals Who Serve As Community Leaders In Various Fields

Women who form the backbone of our community too often go unnoticed. They work on neighborhood and school committees; where there’s a special need, they form a community action group and go to work. An annual event at the YWCA serves to honor these women who haven’t necessarily achieved a formal leadership position, but who nevertheless are community leaders.

The 15th annual YWCA Leader Luncheon on Thursday will award eight Women of Achievement, selected from dozens nominated this year.

The awards are divided into eight categories: Arts & Culture, Business, Community Action, Community Service, Education, Government, Health Care and Young Woman.

“The YWCA started this program in 1982 simultaneous with a national movement to recognize women of achievement,” says Joanne Shiosaki, YWCA community relations director.

“Men’s organizations had been doing this for a long time and we were the appropriate group to stand up and recognize the achievements of exceptional women in our community.”

While there were five recipients the first year of the event, the categories have been expanded and changed when appropriate. And, a new award will be added to the 1998 event: The Carl Maxey Racial Justice Award. This category will be open to men as well as women.

“Our mission and imperative revolves around racial equity and justice and when Carl Maxey passed away this year, one of the things we saw was that he was truly a leader in racial justice in our community and our state. His passing leaves a void,” says Shiosaki. “There are others who work toward racial justice and equity and we felt it was time to recognize and honor them.”

Nomination forms for the Carl Maxey Award as well as the YWCA Women of Achievement in 1998 are available at the YWCA.

The YWCA Leader Luncheon on Thursday will be at Cavanaugh’s Inn at the Park and, while the official reservation deadline has passed, seats are still available for the noon event. Lunch is $35; call the YWCA, 326-1190 for reservations.

VICKI DAR

A newcomer to the Spokane community five years ago, Vicki Dar, the business award recipient, has had a big impact with her publication Inland Northwest Family Magazine. The Family Magazine is published nine times a year and Dar produces an annual Resource Guide for area families. She’s the force behind Family Magazine Bookfairs book program, which gives access to high-quality business-related books for lower-income people. Dar was instrumental in bringing motivational speaker Richard Santana to Spokane last spring to talk with area teenagers about alternatives to gangs and violent behavior.

Her nominator says:

“She created a business environment where women in particular do not need to choose between child care and word needs. When one employee sought to home school her children, her house was adjusted to accommodate her and her family’s needs. Vicki has also worked with fledgling writers, most of them women, who are seeking ways to support their creative needs while establishing careers that allow them to work from their homes. Not all women could follow her footsteps, but for those who dare, who want to reach for the stars while keeping their perspective and basic understanding of what is important in life firmly in mind, there is no other role model like Vicki.”

PEGGY HOPKINS

The Community Activism award recipient, Peggy Hopkins, helped create a housing development program for special needs populations under the auspices of Spokane County Community Services. The result of her efforts included new housing units and rehab of existing housing for low-income people. Now, as executive director of the non-profit Community Health Association of Spokane, Hopkins works to provide medical and dental care to the low-income population. Last year she was given the Volunteers of America Community Service Award.

Her nominator says:

“One of Peggy’s greatest strengths is her ability to inspire and challenge others to help make her dreams happen. Some of Spokane’s most harried and successful doctors, dentists and builders have poured their time and energy into Peggy’s projects, developing affordable housing, medical and dental care for chronically under-served citizens. The bedrock of her commitment to community is her belief in the dignity of each person.”

DR. MEREDITH RICHMOND

As chief of staff at the Spokane Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Dr. Meredith Richmond played a key role in the reorganization of the Veterans Hospital and its services. Richmond, the Health Care award recipient, also maintains a primary care clinic specializing in women’s health care. She moved to Spokane two years ago from the Veterans Hospital in Martinsburg, W.Va.

Her nominator says:

“Dr. Richmond tackles tough jobs which through the years were ignored by others, because these were jobs that were sensitive and it was easier … to not cause waves. Dr. Richmond makes waves when necessary but improves the work area for all. She is articulate and not afraid to ask the tough questions. I admire her courage.”

SARAH SERBELL

The Young Woman of Achievement recipient attends East Valley High School and is involved with the school’s community service program. She is helping establish a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at East Valley High, participates in church activities, maintains a high grade point level and is the drum major of the EVHS marching band.

Her nominator says:

“Recently one of Sarah’s sisters was seriously injured in a car accident which has confined her to home for months to come. Sarah gladly shares in her sister’s daily care and takes her turn ‘patient sitting’ since her sister requires 24-hour care. The many hours shared between sisters has solidified their relationship as best friends.”

LIZ BURROUGHS

The Art & Culture recipient has worked as a volunteer in a broad range of Spokane organizations since the mid-‘70s.

She served on the education and information committee of Planned Parenthood of Spokane in the 1975 and held various positions with the Greater Spokane Community Foundation (now Foundation Northwest) in the late-‘70s.

More recently she worked on the endowment campaign at the Spokane Symphony, was president of the statewide Friends of the Humanities and now is president of the Eastern Washington Historical Society. Other groups with which she’s been involved include Connoisseur Concerts, United Way, the Spokane Art School, the Spokane Junior Symphony, Women Helping Women Fund and Assistants, Inc.

Her nominator says: “Liz has created opportunities for Spokane women’s growth, leadership and power. She recognizes the inherent dignity and value of all people and has demonstrated this in all her volunteer work. She is a bright and talented person who is not easily discouraged from achieving what is best for whatever she is working on.”

ELIZABETH KEELER

For more than a decade, the Community Service award recipient, Elizabeth Keeler, has focused her efforts on low-income people. She was director of Spokane Helping Ourselves Means Education (HOME), a program that helps people on public assistance enter and complete college. While working for the Department of Health and Human Services, she functioned as a liaison with a number of community groups. When she saw a need for a network for low-income single parents, she created a network that became the YWCA Single Parent Outreach Connection. Keeler also was instrumental in the formation of the Single Parent Project at Eastern Washington University.

Her nominator says: “Elizabeth is as tenacious as a pit bull and as loving as an angel. Her gentle way is infectious and serves as a positive model for assistance recipients who have been frustrated and devalued by their interactions with the social service system. She does not blame others. She, instead, attempts to put all viewpoints on the table for consideration. And, as anyone who knows her would testify, Elizabeth never stops trying.”

LISA BROWN

Of the recipients at the Leader Luncheon, perhaps Lisa Brown will be the most familiar. She served two terms in the Washington State House of Representatives and last year was elected to the Washington State Senate where she works as an advocate for women, children and low-income people. In state government, she worked on committees on energy, utilities, Ways and Means, and a salmon restoration task force. Brown is also a professor at Eastern Washington University and has traveled extensively in Central America to study the economics of the area and the needs of Latin American women. She spent a semester as visiting professor at the University of Central America in Nicaragua.

Her nominator says: “Lisa is a mother, a scholar, an elected representative of the people and an accomplished speaker who also listens. She is an empowered woman herself, and power sits gracefully on her shoulders because she never lets it interfere with her compassion and her interest in people. She is the sort of person any young woman might well want to be.”

CYNTHIA MCMULLEN

The Education award recipient, Cynthia McMullen, was instrumental in the development of the Central Valley School District Early Childhood Education Assistance Program. The program helps provide educational opportunities and community resources for low-income families. McMullen was elected to the Central Valley School Board nearly a decade ago and since has served as president, vice-president and legislative representative.

McMullen participated in the remodeling projects for Valley elementary and junior high schools. She has also been on the Inland Empire Girl Scouts Council board of directors and has been involved in Leadership Spokane, the Valleyfest Board of Directors, the Sacred Heart Hospital Ambassador Program and chaired the Spokane Civic Service committee.

Her nominator says: “Cynthia freely gives of her time and talent to any community project that will benefit the good of Spokane’s young women. She champions the cause that all people are deserving of personal dignity. She possesses an uncompromising vision for the future that all children deserve an optimum opportunity to learn, and thus be successful contributors to society and to their community.”

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